editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Peter Kenyon is NPR's international correspondent based in Istanbul, Turkey. Prior to taking this assignment in 2010, Kenyon spent five years in Cairo covering Middle Eastern and North African countries from Syria to Morocco. He was part of NPR's team recognized with two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University awards for outstanding coverage of post-war Iraq. In addition to regular stints in Iraq, he has followed stories to Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain, Qatar, Algeria, Morocco and other countries in the region. Arriving at NPR in 1995, Kenyon spent six years in Washington, D.C., working in a variety of positions including as a correspondent covering the US Senate during President Bill Clinton's second term and the beginning of the President George W. Bush's administration. Kenyon came to NPR from the Alaska Public Radio Network. He began his public radio career in the small fishing community of Petersburg, where he met his wife Nevette, a commercial fisherwoman.NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Peter KenyonMon, 25 Sep 2017 23:12:14 +0000Peter Kenyonhttp://ktep.org
Peter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Syrian Refugee Activist And Her Daughter Brutally Murdered In Turkeyhttp://ktep.org/post/syrian-refugee-activist-and-her-daughter-brutally-murdered-turkey
116043 as http://ktep.orgMon, 25 Sep 2017 20:33:00 +0000Syrian Refugee Activist And Her Daughter Brutally Murdered In TurkeyPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Today is the deadline for the White House to decide whether to continue to waive economic sanctions against Iran. Now, doing so is part of the 2015 nuclear deal, but President Trump has criticized that deal. And even if he decides to waive sanctions for now, the deal could still be scrapped next month. Let's bring in NPR's Peter Kenyon. He is following all of this from Istanbul. Hey there, Peter. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Hi, Mary Louise. KELLY: Good morning. Give us a little bit more detail. Explain what exactly this deadline is today. KENYON: Right. Well, you know, usually when we talk about the nuclear deal the question is, is Iran abiding by its terms? But this is a deadline for the U.S. to live up to one of its commitments, and that's keeping the sanctions lifted. That requires these periodic presidential waivers because only Congress can actually repeal the sanctions permanently, and they haven't done that. But theWhite House Must Decide Whether To Waive Sanctions Against Iranhttp://ktep.org/post/white-house-must-decide-whether-waive-sanctions-against-iran
115345 as http://ktep.orgThu, 14 Sep 2017 11:31:00 +0000White House Must Decide Whether To Waive Sanctions Against IranPeter KenyonTwo deadlines are approaching that may signal the fate of the 2015 nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action . The agreement saw Iran sharply curtail its nuclear program and allow extensive inspections in return for the lifting of international sanctions. Sept. 14 is the deadline for the Trump administration to decide whether it will continue to waive Iranian sanctions under the deal. The sanctions were passed by Congress and go into effect unless they're waived every few months — which Trump has done previously. The administration also faces an Oct. 15 deadline to certify whether Iran remains in compliance with the nuclear deal. That certification requirement is not part of the deal but was imposed by Congress. That is, when the Obama administration signed the deal, Congress required him to say every three months whether he believed Iran was in compliance. It was a way for members of Congress to hold Obama to account for a deal many opposed. Earlier this month,Access To Military Sites Debated As White House Reconsiders Iran Nuclear Deal http://ktep.org/post/access-military-sites-debated-white-house-reconsiders-iran-nuclear-deal
115306 as http://ktep.orgWed, 13 Sep 2017 21:42:00 +0000Access To Military Sites Debated As White House Reconsiders Iran Nuclear Deal Peter KenyonIt has been 18 years since a magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit northwest Turkey, killing some 17,000 people and leaving half a million homeless. A series of government initiatives were designed to make the next big quake less deadly. But experts are warning that some of those protections have been lost in a rush to develop urban green spaces into lucrative apartment buildings and shopping malls. Before dawn on Aug. 17, 1999, one of the fault lines running beneath the Sea of Marmara began to slip and rumble. The Eurasian plate moved against the Anatolian block for less than a minute — but the quake and severe aftershocks devastated entire neighborhoods, including in Istanbul, where hundreds died. As rescue crews searched for survivors — and then for bodies — anger mounted at the shoddy construction and lack of disaster readiness that critics said made the quake deadlier than it should have been. The government, then led by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and a Democratic Left Party coalition,18 Years After Turkey's Deadly Quake, Safety Concerns Grow About The Next Big Onehttp://ktep.org/post/18-years-after-turkeys-deadly-quake-safety-concerns-grow-about-next-big-one
114917 as http://ktep.orgThu, 07 Sep 2017 14:57:00 +000018 Years After Turkey's Deadly Quake, Safety Concerns Grow About The Next Big OnePeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AILSA CHANG, HOST: With battles against ISIS grinding on in both Iraq and Syria, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis has been traveling in the region, praising the anti-ISIS coalition and meeting with uneasy allies. Perhaps none is more uneasy than Turkey. Mattis, yesterday, sought to reassure Turkey's president that American backing for Kurdish fighters will not undermine Turkey's security. And to find out if he succeeded in reassuring Turkey, we're joined now by NPR's Peter Kenyon in Istanbul. Hi, Peter. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa. CHANG: So how did this meeting go? KENYON: Well, there wasn't any big show of solidarity. There was no joint statement, no press conference. He was in and out. And that may reflect the fact that it's extremely hard to try and reconcile the two positions on this one big question - the U.S. support for Syrian-Kurdish fighters. You know, this gets a little complicated, but here goes. The U.S. really needs thoseMattis Seeks To Calm Nervous Ally In Turkeyhttp://ktep.org/post/mattis-seeks-calm-nervous-ally-turkey
114024 as http://ktep.orgThu, 24 Aug 2017 09:24:00 +0000Mattis Seeks To Calm Nervous Ally In TurkeyPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: We now know what happened to an American grad student who disappeared in Iran months ago. An Iranian news outlet is saying that he is still in Iran and has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. It looks like his supporters were trying to keep his case quiet, hoping for a resolution. But now the Iranian authorities are speaking out. Princeton University says Xiyue Wang was doing research for his Ph.D. in Iran. He was picked up by the authorities, accused of spying. The claim is that he obtained highly confidential articles - whatever that means - for Princeton and other entities. The U.S. State Department says these charges are totally fabricated. NPR's Peter Kenyon is following the story from Istanbul. And, Peter, what do we know here? PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Well, we know that a spokesman for Iran's judiciary told the Mizan News Agency in Iran that Wang, quote, unquote, "infiltrated Iran on behalf of American and BritishAmerican Graduate Student Sentenced To Prison In Iranhttp://ktep.org/post/american-graduate-student-sentenced-prison-iran
111611 as http://ktep.orgMon, 17 Jul 2017 11:44:00 +0000American Graduate Student Sentenced To Prison In IranPeter KenyonThis weekend, people across Turkey are recalling the shocking attempted coup of last July 15 and remembering the 249 civilians who died resisting the effort to overthrow the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The government has declared a national holiday, "Democracy and National Unity Day." But Turkey remains deeply divided a year after the coup attempt, and the sweeping crackdown that followed. Erdogan addressed a huge crowd in Istanbul Saturday night from one end of the Bosphorus Bridge linking Asia and Europe. The bridge has been renamed the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, and for people across Turkey's political spectrum it remains a point of pride that a military coup was stopped by popular opposition. It wasn't entirely unarmed popular opposition that won the day – police and loyalist military personnel helped round up the renegade soldiers. But in the popular imagination it's the image of civilians facing off against tanks and automatic weapons that lingers. BeforeA Year Later, A Divided Turkey Remembers Failed Coup Attempt http://ktep.org/post/year-later-divided-turkey-remembers-failed-coup-attempt
111576 as http://ktep.orgSun, 16 Jul 2017 18:19:00 +0000A Year Later, A Divided Turkey Remembers Failed Coup Attempt Peter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Today marks the one-year anniversary of a failed coup in Turkey. Civilians rushed into the streets to resist the coup after a call by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Nearly 250 of them died that night. And in the year since, the government has imposed a state of emergency and arrested tens of thousands of people in a crackdown that continues. NPR's Peter Kenyon has been covering the events marking the anniversary, and I talked with him a short time ago at one of those events in Istanbul. Peter, thanks so much for speaking with us. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Hi, Michel. MARTIN: So tell us where you are and what's happening there. KENYON: Well, I'm on the Asian side of the Bosphorus Strait. And I'm looking up at the Bosphorus Bridge, although now it has a new name. It's called the July 15 Martyrs Bridge. And when I came across, I was on a boat full of people saying prayers for the memory of those who died here a year ago. This was aProtests In Turkey Mark One-Year Anniversary Of Failed Couphttp://ktep.org/post/protests-turkey-mark-one-year-anniversary-failed-coup
111551 as http://ktep.orgSat, 15 Jul 2017 21:09:00 +0000Protests In Turkey Mark One-Year Anniversary Of Failed CoupPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: A year ago today, people in Turkey watched elements of the military try and fail to overthrow the government. A harsh crackdown followed. More than 50,000 people were arrested. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports that officials in Turkey are using the anniversary to justify the fallout from that attempted coup and its profound impact on Turkish life. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: People across Turkey were stunned a year ago as renegade soldiers tried to topple the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Until that night, everyone believed Turkey had finally put its troubled history of military coups behind it. A year later, the shocking events of July 15, rocket attacks and street battles have been packaged into emotional documentaries by state-funded news channel. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) KENYON: Their focus is on the heroism of those who stood against the coup not on the massive intelligence lapse that failed to see it coming. ATurkey Uses Coup Attempt Anniversary To Justify Continued Crackdownhttp://ktep.org/post/turkey-uses-coup-attempt-anniversary-justify-continued-crackdown
111527 as http://ktep.orgSat, 15 Jul 2017 12:52:00 +0000Turkey Uses Coup Attempt Anniversary To Justify Continued CrackdownPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: Turkey is marking the one-year anniversary today of a failed military coup that attempted to topple the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. That startling uprising by renegade soldiers stunned the country and cost the lives of 249 civilians. Now the government is using this anniversary to justify the sweeping crackdown that followed the failed coup. Let's talk about this with NPR's Peter Kenyon in Istanbul. Good morning, Peter. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Hi, David. GREENE: So how exactly is the government characterizing this day? KENYON: Well, first of all, as you can imagine, a big focus on those civilians who were killed - they're being honored and mourned. But then, basically, there's no apologies for this massive government purge and crackdown that's happened since then. There's been about 140,000 people fired, businesses worth some $11 billion seized, more than 50,000 people facing charges. We have seen some coupA Year After Coup Attempt, Erdogan's Purge Shows No Sign Of Slowinghttp://ktep.org/post/year-after-coup-attempt-erdogans-purge-shows-no-sign-slowing
111444 as http://ktep.orgFri, 14 Jul 2017 08:57:00 +0000A Year After Coup Attempt, Erdogan's Purge Shows No Sign Of SlowingPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: This weekend will be a year since the attempted coup against the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. We're going to hear from one of the people suffering in the purge that the government has led since then. Emergency laws have been used to fire nearly 140,000 people from public jobs. More than 50,000 people have been arrested. Critics say this purge is not only aimed at those involved in the coup but at dissent and free speech, too. Here's NPR's Peter Kenyon. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Turkey's leaders say the ongoing state of emergency is vital to ensure that the country never again has to endure a night like last July 15. (SOUNDBITE OF GUNFIRE) UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Foreign language spoken). KENYON: That night, renegade soldiers bombed the Parliament, stormed TV stations and occupied bridges. Two-hundred-forty-nine Turkish civilians were killed resisting the overthrow effort. Five days later came the state ofVictim Of Turkish Government Crackdown Reflects On Year Since Coup Attempthttp://ktep.org/post/victim-turkish-government-crackdown-reflects-year-coup-attempt
111415 as http://ktep.orgThu, 13 Jul 2017 20:35:00 +0000Victim Of Turkish Government Crackdown Reflects On Year Since Coup AttemptPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit LAKSHMI SINGH, HOST: We cross the border from Iraq and Syria to Turkey now, where frustration and anger against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been bubbling. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul today to protest the government's sweeping crackdown on dissent following last summer's failed coup. The rally marked the end of a so-called March for Justice that saw the 68-year-old leader of Turkey's main opposition party and thousands of others walk some 250 miles from the capital, Ankara, to Istanbul. NPR's Peter Kenyon was at today's rally and joins us now. Hello, Peter. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Hi, Lakshmi. SINGH: This march became a much bigger event inside Turkey than people had anticipated. What kind of impact is this having? KENYON: Well, there's no question it was huge, an enormous rally, kind of thing we're used to seeing the ruling party put up. Estimates were hundreds of thousands or even more. To give you some idea, hoursProtestors Walk 280 Miles In Turkey March For Peacehttp://ktep.org/post/protestors-walk-280-miles-turkey-march-peace
111136 as http://ktep.orgSun, 09 Jul 2017 21:32:00 +0000Protestors Walk 280 Miles In Turkey March For PeacePeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: In Turkey, thousands of people unhappy with the government of President Receb Tayyip Erdogan have hit the road, some 250 miles of road from the capital Ankara to Istanbul. It's called the March For Justice, and NPR's Peter Kenyon met up with some of the marchers yesterday. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: The weather ranged from threatening to downpours, but the marchers kept coming, following a 68-year-old opposition leader who said someone has to stand up for those he says were unjustly imprisoned or sacked by a government acting with emergency powers. Few thought it would amount to much, but the march has grown bigger than anyone imagined. In the city of Kocaeli, many residents leaned out of their windows, clapping and waving the marchers on. It's the biggest show of opposition to the government in years, and it's drawn the wrath of the president, who says those marching are lining up with terrorists seeking to damage the country.Thousands Turn Out For March For Justice In Turkeyhttp://ktep.org/post/thousands-turn-out-march-justice-turkey
110884 as http://ktep.orgWed, 05 Jul 2017 12:20:00 +0000Thousands Turn Out For March For Justice In TurkeyPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Now an update on that regional trade and diplomatic embargo on the tiny Gulf nation of Qatar. Saudi Arabia and other Arab states have given a list of 13 demands to Qatar in order to resolve the dispute that has closed land borders and damaged trade ties. The list includes cutting ties to Iran, expelling extremist groups and shutting down its broadcaster, Al-Jazeera. Here's NPR's Peter Kenyon. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to reveal what exactly they want Qatar to do to resolve this crisis. Now they've done so, with Kuwait acting as mediator, and the demands are heavy. Some of the items address the initial complaint against tiny, gas-rich Qatar - its hosting of members of Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups. The list demands that members of those groups be expelled and Qatar stop financing terrorist groups - something DohaDiplomatic Row Between Qatar And Neighbors Escalateshttp://ktep.org/post/diplomatic-row-between-qatar-and-neighbors-escalates
110155 as http://ktep.orgFri, 23 Jun 2017 09:02:00 +0000Diplomatic Row Between Qatar And Neighbors EscalatesPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit (SOUNDBITE OF MISSILE STRIKES) DAVID GREENE, HOST: What you're listening to there is audio from Iranian state television last night. They were broadcasting live the launch of ground-to-ground missiles into eastern Syria targeting ISIS. This is the first such missile strike from Iran since the Syria conflict began six years ago. Iran says this was in retaliation for the recent ISIS terror attacks in Tehran. NPR's Peter Kenyon has been following all of this from his post in Istanbul. Good morning, Peter. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Hi, David. GREENE: So what exactly did Iran do here? KENYON: Well, the Revolutionary Guard Corps - they say it was six mid-range, ground-to-ground missiles launched from western Iran across Iraqi airspace and into Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria. Now, the guards say the targets included an ISIS command center, a facility for making vehicle bombs. Those claims haven't been confirmed yet, we should note. A news agency close to theIran Launches Missiles Into Syria; U.S. Downs Syrian Government Jethttp://ktep.org/post/iran-launches-missiles-syria-us-downs-syrian-government-jet
109864 as http://ktep.orgMon, 19 Jun 2017 09:00:00 +0000Iran Launches Missiles Into Syria; U.S. Downs Syrian Government JetPeter KenyonThe decision last week by Gulf Arab states to sever ties and halt trade with the tiny, hydrocarbon-rich country of Qatar has focused attention on what critics call Qatar's funding of Islamist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. U.S. investigators believe the crisis was sparked by hackers who transmitted fake, inflammatory messages appearing to come from Qatar's emir. But the dispute is unfolding against a backdrop of long-standing irritation with Qatar among its larger Sunni Arab neighbors in the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia (which has also been accused of supporting terrorist groups), the United Arab Emirates and others have frequently complained about Qatar's state-backed media outlet Al-Jazeera and its equable working relationship with Saudi Arabia's main rival, Shiite power Iran. To some, the current crisis is a simple tale of cracking down on one source of terror financing. To others, it's the latest effort to rein in a small country with a history of going its ownQatar's Crisis With Saudi Arabia And Gulf Neighbors Has Decades-Long Rootshttp://ktep.org/post/qatars-crisis-saudi-arabia-and-gulf-neighbors-has-decades-long-roots
109779 as http://ktep.orgSat, 17 Jun 2017 11:00:00 +0000Qatar's Crisis With Saudi Arabia And Gulf Neighbors Has Decades-Long RootsPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: The British government is in damage repair mode following yesterday's election. Voters stripped the ruling Conservative Party of its majority in Parliament. Now some are calling for Prime Minister Theresa May to step aside, though she says she's moving ahead. Negotiations on Brexit, the U.K.'s exit from the European Union, are just over a week away. NPR's Peter Kenyon has more. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Some Londoners spent their Friday trying to figure out what had happened overnight. Theresa May supporter Sylvia McDermott was puzzling it over as she walked her dog in Regent's Park. SYLVIA MCDERMOTT: Shocked as well. It's really a bad situation now because of Brexit as well. So it's very... KENYON: Where do they go from here? MCDERMOTT: I know. Nobody knows at the moment - very confusing situation. And I'm sad that the country is in such a state, really. KENYON: Considering the commanding 21-point lead she held less than twoTheresa May Announces Plan To Form Government After Queen's Approvalhttp://ktep.org/post/theresa-may-announces-plan-form-government-after-queens-approval
109323 as http://ktep.orgFri, 09 Jun 2017 20:51:00 +0000Theresa May Announces Plan To Form Government After Queen's ApprovalPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: President Trump released a statement this afternoon saying he prays for the victims of the two terror attacks in Iran today but he also said, quote, "states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote." Iranian state media reports that militants armed with explosives and automatic weapons targeted Iran's Parliament building and a shrine to the founding father of the country's revolution. At least 12 people were killed. ISIS has claimed responsibility. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports the killings shattered Iran's self-image as a secure country in a dangerous region. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: The sprawling shrine to the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini is sometimes a place for contemplation, but today attackers sprayed bullets and set off an explosion which this video posted online purports to capture. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (Foreign language spoken). (SOUNDBITE OF EXPLOSION)ISIS Claims Responsibility For Pair Of Terror Attacks In Iranhttp://ktep.org/post/isis-claims-responsibility-pair-terror-attacks-iran
109176 as http://ktep.orgWed, 07 Jun 2017 20:42:00 +0000ISIS Claims Responsibility For Pair Of Terror Attacks In IranPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: The Parliament building in Iran's capital, Tehran, is a huge, modern structure shaped a bit like, if you can imagine it, half a pyramid. It's part of a vast and highly secured complex which gunmen stormed today. And that was 1 of 2 attacks for which ISIS is claiming responsibility. NPR's Peter Kenyon covers Iran for us. And Peter, what happened after the gunmen arrived at that facility? PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Well, at the Parliament, there was a long-running shootout. The police arrived and eventually Revolutionary Guard members. And this was a very dramatic siege for quite a while. And there's video of a body lying and apparently an ISIS fighter shouting at him that, we will never leave. It was a very dramatic scene, as was the explosion and the gunfire at the Ayatollah Khomeini shrine. He's the founding father of the Islamic Republic. So symbolically, these were very big attacks at the heart of Iran's establishment. INSKEEP:Attacks On Iran Strike At The Heart Of Its Establishmenthttp://ktep.org/post/attacks-iran-strike-heart-its-establishment
109137 as http://ktep.orgWed, 07 Jun 2017 13:36:00 +0000Attacks On Iran Strike At The Heart Of Its EstablishmentPeter KenyonCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: And I'm Steve Inskeep with your guide to this day's news, including news this morning of an attack in Iran's capital city of Tehran. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: And as with all such attacks, the details are subject to change as we learn more. But here's the latest as of early morning U.S. time. The information comes mainly from Iranian media, which are closely linked to the state. They say multiple gunmen made it inside Iran's Parliament building. The Parliament was apparently in session at the time. Lawmakers were locked inside the building, and a number of people were killed. INSKEEP: And as this situation continues developing, let's get some perspective from NPR's Peter Kenyon, who's on the line. He's been to Iran a number of times. Hi, Peter. PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Hi, Steve. INSKEEP: How unusual is it to have this kind of spectacular attack in Iran? KENYON: Oh, this is incredibly shocking for Iran. This is a country that isNews Brief: Iran Attack, Russia Probe, Uber Workplace-Misconduct Reporthttp://ktep.org/post/news-brief-iran-attack-russia-probe-uber-workplace-misconduct-report
109124 as http://ktep.orgWed, 07 Jun 2017 11:42:00 +0000News Brief: Iran Attack, Russia Probe, Uber Workplace-Misconduct Report